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digital video images ’

Nothing says “”Gotchya!” to a potential intruder, vandal, or burglar better than a security flood light DVR camera. Thanks to modern technological improvements these devices are an entire compact digital video security system. They can be used in both residential and commercial applications and can be extremely effective when placed in the proper location.

Not only does a security flood light DVR camera help to protect and prevent perpetrators from causing damage or breaking and entering, but it also offers positive deterrence. It’s already been proven by the law enforcement agencies in London, England and New York City that the mere presence of digital video cameras deters criminal activity.

However, the security flood light DVR camera takes it one step further. Not only does it record still digital photographs or digital video images of the intruder, but once the unit senses motion, it snaps on a powerful high wattage flood light illuminating the surrounding area and “spotlighting” the intruder as well.

In addition to protecting homes and businesses, these units are great for protecting other property as well. Boat docks with electricity, barns, storage areas, specific portions of land, back entrances of retail stores, and no-trespassing industrial areas as well can benefit from the protection of a security flood light DVR camera.

The units are relatively easy to install and use as well. Basically, all that is required for installation is to mount the unit, connect it to a standard residential type power line, and select the settings you desire. Then walk away and be confident that your security flood light DVR camera will protect you and/or your family, business, or property.

Before we provide some detail about the design and function of a standard security flood light DVR camera, let’s briefly describe a typical digital video security camera system and how it works.

Most standard digital video security camera systems contain one to several cameras, a Digital Video Recorder or DVR, and perhaps a monitor. The cameras are mounted in various strategic locations and send their digital video data to the DVR unit by means of a digital video cable run from each camera to the unit, or wirelessly using radio signal transmitters and receivers.

The DVR unit, much like a highly specialized personal computer, contains a hard disk drive like those found in computers. The DVR unit processes the digital data and creates a digital video file that can be viewed live on a monitor and/or saved on the DVR for later use.

A security flood light DVR camera is basically a miniature version of the basic system without the monitor. The unit contains all the devices (sans the monitor) within one relatively small, compact fixture. The floodlight is usually a powerful 500 watt halogen flood lamp. These lights can project a powerful beam of light in a relatively wide field of vision.

Connected to the light, DVR, and the camera is an infrared motion detector. The motion detector, known as a PIR or Passive InfraRed sensor, can detect the infrared radiation emitted by the objects in its field of vision. When this “heat signature” changes greatly or rapidly, the sensor interprets this as motion. The sensor activates a relay that switches the security flood light, DVR, and camera on. Depending on the model, the entire unit switches off either after motion is no longer detected or specified time period after the initial “On” state.

When the camera is switched “on” it immediately begins capturing digital video images (or stills), with the flood light helping to provide a crisp, clear, bright picture. An on board processing chip saves the data either as digital photographs or digital video files to the DVR.

The DVR in this case is not a large hard disk drive, but usually consists of an SD card (Secured Digital card), a compact flash card, thumb drive or similar mini-portable memory device. All the user needs to do is remove the SD card, transfer the files to their personal computer and view, print, or make movies disks of the saved data.

Although a security flood light DVR camera cannot provide the extensive precise coverage of a full size standard digital video security system, it does offer an economical alternative and can be quite useful for specific situations. Contact our security experts via Live Chat or telephone if you have any addition questions or would like to make a purchase.

One of the ever increasing most popular digital video camera security systems is the IP cameras security surveillance. This camera system is unique in that it utilizes the internet as a medium for sending video images and remotely controlling the camera making accessibility nearly ubiquitous throughout the world.

There are a few variations on the theme on how these cameras and/or camera security systems operate, but the end product is the same. A digital video file that can be viewed virtually anywhere there is broadband internet access and stored on a personal computer’s hard drive for later use or archiving.

Let’s take a quick look at an average standalone digital video security camera system and how it works so we can better understand how IP cameras security surveillance systems work. A standalone system is so named because it can be used by itself without any additional outside equipment (i.e. other than the standard system equipment, no additional PC or other device for example is required).

A typical standalone digital video security system contains one or more digital video cameras, a Digital Video Recorder or DVR with a Digital Signal Processor or DSP, and a monitor. The digital video cameras in these systems capture light images and transform them into electronic video images. The camera normally contains an analog-to-digital processor chip that sends the video image data in binary or digital form to the DVR unit.

The DVR unit consists of three primary types of devices; the Hard Disk Drive (HDD), the DSP previously mentioned, and any additional peripheral type devices such as CD or DVD recorders to make portable copies of video files. The digital signal comes from the camera via an RG-59 coaxial video transmission cable to the DVR unit. Each individual camera must have its own cable run from the camera to the DVR unit.

When the data reached the DVR unit the DSP processes the data, applies a COmpression/DECompression utility (or CODEC) that greatly compacts the information and reduces the final size of the digital video file. The digital video files is then viewed on a monitor (live) and/or saved to the HDD for later use.

IP cameras security surveillance systems differ in that they normally connect to the Internet instead of using a video transmission cable to relay the camera data to the DVR unit. Furthermore, IP (which stands for Internet Protocol ready) cameras do this normally by one of two methods; either the data is sent via a Cat 5 Ethernet cable to a router or modem or wirelessly to a wireless router or wireless modem.

Using the internet, especially the wireless technology, creates a great advantage for this system. Once the signal make it to an Internet connection the cameras can be viewed and/or controlled from anywhere in the world that broadband internet is accessible. This includes working in tandem with devices such as a Personal Computer or Mac Computer, iPhones, iPads and the like, and many 3G and 4G smartphones. Literally, you can see what is going on at home in Miami when you are on business travel in Paris.

Another advantage of the IP cameras security surveillance system is the ability to use wireless internet technology. This eliminates the need to run the RG-59 coaxial cable from each camera to the DVR unit, greatly reducing installation time and making the process a do-it-yourself project that is a snap.

IP cameras used for security surveillance are able to work by processing the video signal on board and sending it via the camera’s on board web server technology. A variation on this theme is the IP DVR. In this instance the standard cameras are used in conjunction with the DVR but the DVR has the IP capability and is connected to a router or modem. The files are stored on the DVR units HDD but are accessible via the internet to the user.

On the receiving end of an IP camera security surveillance system that uses a personal computer the digital video files are stored on the computer’s HDD and viewed on the computer’s monitor. Normally this systems work in tandem with common internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, Safari, etc. Installation setup normally consists of a self installing software CD so for many systems no prior computer networking knowledge is needed.

Security Camera King has a full line of digital video security systems. Contact one of our experts today if you are interested in purchasing an IP cameras security surveillance system.

An autofocus CCTV or Closed Circuit Television camera is an ideal choice for surveillance and monitoring when the field of view encompasses large differences in distances of the target or the target is moving and often changes its distance to the camera. Most autofocus CCTV camera lenses are zoom lenses; a variation of this type of lens is a vari-focal lens which can vary its focal length by manual adjustment.

Let’s take a look at some of the technology behind autofocus CCTV cameras to see how they work and to understand why an autofocus CCTV camera is unique.

A typical digital video CCTV camera produces an electronic image by using one of two light sensitive electronic chips called Charged Coupled Devices or CCDs or Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductors or CMOSs. The sensors create electronic energy from light energy and are often only ¼ to 1 inch in size. The electronic energy can be measured and utilized to make digital video images that can be viewed on a monitor or saved on a storage device.

However, in order for the sensor to produce the electronic image, the light emitted from the actual imaged must be precisely focused on the sensor. This is where the lens comes in to play. The lens works by clarifying and concentrating (focusing) the light image on the sensor chip.

Every lens has a focal length. For CCTV cameras, generally short focal length lenses have wide fields of view which are ideal for close ups or for seeing a large area, although objects will appear relatively small. Long focal length lenses have narrow fields of view but distant targets are easier seen with better definition.

Focal length measurements are not very long. In fact, focal lengths for CCTV cameras are measured in millimeters and range from about 3.5 to 16.0 millimeters in length with each lens having its own unique focal length. When purchasing a digital video CCTV camera with a fixed lens, the purpose or objective of the camera must be considered in order to select the proper lens.

For example, a small focal lengths lens can yield a fairly large field of view. For example, at 50 feet away from the camera, the field of view for a 3.6 mm focal length lens would provide a field of view of approximately 75 feet wide and 50 feet in height. Identification of people would be very difficult because they would appear very small. However, using a lens with a 16.0 mm focal length would create a field of view approximately 13 feet wide by 9.6 feet in height and would make recognition much easier.

However, if a camera needs to provide both a large field of view as well as a short field of view, an autofocus CCTV camera is the ideal choice. By using a combination of lenses that optimize the physical principles of the lenses these cameras can vary their focal length automatically, i.e. autofocus.

Autofocus CCTV cameras take the guess work out of determining which single lens to purchase for your camera. Autofocus zoom CCTV cameras can be used like the telephoto lens on a still image or video camera to “Zoom-in” or enlarge objects while maintaining the proper focus. Autofocus zoom CCTV cameras often have large focal length ranges, from as little as 3.6 mm to over 60 mm.

Autofocus CCTV cameras can be zoomed in or out to account for changes in the field of view. Normally, these cameras’ zoom function is controlled electronically either by a control panel with sliders, levers, knobs, joysticks, or buttons or through the use of programming that is run through the processing unit or Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

Another type of “autofocus” camera lens is the vari-focal lens. Although this lens is not remotely controlled like the true autofocus lens mentioned above, it does have the ability to vary its focal length, making it an autofocus type of lens. The lens is actually adjusted manually allowing the lens to zoom in and out and focus at variable settings.

So if your security or monitoring system requires the camera to zoom in and out, or if you need to vary the size of your camera’s field of view, an autofocus CCTV camera is the right choice for you. Also, for situations where the filed of view may need to change occasionally but not “on-the-fly” a more economical type of autofocus CCTV lens, the vari-focal lens, may be what you need.